Everyday Junglist

Tim Reaper // Rhythm Incursions Minimix

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

I saw this this morning and thought Mr Reaper had suddenly got himself a set of decks and learnt how to mix! Sadly not though, its all been laid out in his sequencer (quite how that works I dont know, think decks and records are probably far easier) but it is of no matter. Serious selection from the man. No 'minimal' though :(

"Now, about this mix, it was done in my sequencer because I don’t own any sort of hardware that I could use for DJing, but I still get sent tracks from fellow producers and I buy tracks that I like that get released, so rather than just sitting on the tracks, doing nothing with them, I thought that it would be good to present them in a way.

After doing a minimix to promote a release I was working on, I got into the habit of making these types of minimixes, which I think are a great way to present music in a short but digestible manner, so I did this for you guys, kept it short as it’s only 20 minutes long, but I managed to fit in some great tracks, signed and unsigned from some of my top producers about right now."

Download [via Rhythm Incursions]

Tracklisting:
Ricky Force – All Kinda Style [Space Amazon Dub]
Discography & Tim Reaper – He Feels Like A Carpet [Dub]
Jazzsteppa & Foreign Beggars – Raising The Bar (Stray Remix) [Studio Rockers]
Jedi – Robber Baron (Gremlinz & Rene LaVice Remix) [Bad Concept]
LXC – I Know U [Bustle Beats Dub]
Future & Stranjah – The List [Dub]
Tim Reaper – Congo Bad [Dub]
Optimystic – Roots (Relapse’s Bleeding Roots Remix) [Dub]
Double O – Africa Sweetness [Hidden Hawaii]
Flatliners – Dub Tune (Jaybee Remix) [Dub]
Phuture-T – Waterhouse Dub [Dub]
DJ Trace – Final Chapta VIP [Dub]
Tim Reaper – Call My Name [Free Download]
Theory – Dirty Tricks [Translation]
Parallel & Tim Reaper – The Sound [Inperspective Dub]
Champa B – Bodies [Scientific Wax Dub]
Tim Reaper – From The Top [Free Download]
Nolige – The Drift [Free Download]

http://soundcloud.com/tim-reaper

12" Of The Week // ASC - TMA-1 EP

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:13:00 +0000

ASC - TMA-1 EP [Space Cadets]

TMA-1
Aqualoop
Esper
Sarang

I'll spare you the usual waffle here and keep it brief. If you had a read of EDJ's 'Alternative Drum & Bass Awards' then you'll know that ASC was one of the 'Editor's Picks' as Producer of the year. 2011 was astonishing in terms of the sheer number of releases he put out across multiple genres and the ridiculously high quality of them all. Well, he doesn't seem to be one to rest on his laurels as this is already his second single of the year, following on from the superb 10" on Samurai off-shoot Horo.

Space Cadets has carved out an envibaly distinguished and high quality niche for itself at the more experimental end of the drum & bass spectrum in the short time that it's been active. ASC's productions are a perfect fit for the label and it's sound and the 4 tracks contained on this 12" are deep, ethereal and luscious pieces of ambientish autonomica that slot into the, albeit small, back catalogue with ease. His style seems to interchange at will between this more laid back dreamy appraoch and the harder, more abrasive sounds akin to the recent 12" on Samurai Red Seal. It is with these softer sounds that his strength really lies though in this blog's opinion and these four are some of the finest examples of it yet. Coupled with the insanely good value a 4 track 12" offers the discerning vinyl collector, this release should be a must for any d&b connoisseur worth their salt.

Out Now

EDJ Review: Krakota - Scraper b/w Tunnel Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:56:00 +0000

Krakota - Scraper b/w Tunnel Vision [Ingredients]

After a great 2011, honoured by no less than my awarding it as label of the year, Clive Psylence's Ingredients Records returns to the fold in 2012 kicking off with its 25th release and debut 12" from Krakota. A producer who we have seen a few releases from over the last year or so on a number of reputable labels including CIA and Critical, but from whom it also seems like we are yet to hear the best of. This double A side from a label he has had dealings with in the past is looking set to pull the trigger on the starters pistol in this regard.

The A side 'Scraper' contrary to the above is very much an A side in that it is dominated by its big deep bass-line and heavy rolling breaks. It still manages to maintain a succinctness that means it never sounds overcrowded and although it's not the most diverse piece of drum and bass music, it is very much destined to set the floor alight without the need for gimmicks and brashness, something which should not be discredited. The AA side 'Tunnel Vision' kind of follows suit but takes things down a notch in the energy stakes. The undulating sub bass and mild mannered Reese tones are again well restrained and wholly characteristic of this young producer. The beats are still rolling and there's a listener friendly deep vocal edit thrown in for good measure. This very much reminds me of his 'Be Myself' effort on Ingredients' 'Recipe Book Vol. One' album from last year. For me it's probably this AA side that just edges it here but who's to say that wouldn't change if I were to experience the A side its natural habitat. Worthy of note also is a little freebie that has been put up on Krakota's soundcloud, a VIP of the aforementioned 'Be Myself' where we are treated to a larger drop, bass and shuffle workout. A proper VIP definitely worth getting hold of if you are a fan of the original or either of the tunes on Ingredients025.

Overall this is a solid 12" from a producer who we will likely see come through the ranks this year bringing with him a defined sound. He may become one of dnb's 'producers de jour' for 2012 but with tunes like 'Scraper' and 'Tunnel Vision' setting the bar, it's probably not such a bad thing!

Out Now

Words: Tom Root

Jubei // 'The Take'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Little freebie from Jubei...in fairness you're meant to go through one of those incredibly long and annoying process of 'liking' things and giving them email addresses and so on. I can understand why they do it but surely anyone with a passing interest in D&B knows about Jubei anyway, plus it does smack of desperation. Anyway, gone through all that shit for you so just have the tune...

Download

http://www.facebook.com/PaulJubei

Concept One // Hardcore Junglism Vol. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:44:00 +0000

HARDCORE, YOU KNOW THE SCORE

Hardcore Junglism Vol.1 by ConceptOne

Tracklisting:
Alk-e-d - Shining Bright - Kniteforce Records
2 Croozin' - Code Red - Remix Records
Hype - The Trooper - Sub Base Records
The Full Sp - Raw Basics (Tango Remix) - Face Records
Dj Monk - Dance Hall Style - KLP Records
Lemon D - Parazone - Planet Earth Records
Aphrodite - So Good - Aladdin Records
Tuff to the Bone - Bad Boy Talk - Slam Records
Family of Intelligence - Agony - Kemet Records
Da Dogz - Non Stop - Prime Time Records
Studio Pressure - The Water Margin - Photek Records
Kid Twist - Live and Direct - Liauid Wax Records
Marvelous Caine - Hitman (Hype Remix) - IQ Records
Potential Badboy - Fly Like a Butterfly - Ibiza Records
Dj Monk & Tico - Part II (Gun Bridge) (DnB Mix) - KLP Records
JOhnny Jungle - Killa Sound - Sub Base Records
Jack Ruby - Global Torrents - Knowledge Records

http://soundcloud.com/conceptone

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Forty Three

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:34:00 +0000

Adam F - Light Years

Yes, the one the only Adam F, co-owner of Breakbeat Kaos and producer behind the legendary album Colours and hits such as Circles, Metropolis, Aromatherapy, F Jam, Music In My Mind and many more. But before all that, before he made the move to somewhat cheesy jump-up and even before he had his big release on Metalheadz, he was releasing tracks the the 'proto-atmospheric' labels Lucky Spin & Dee Jay, the two labels pushing the deep jungle sound along with Timeless, Creative Wax & Good Looking before Good Looking became the top label of atmospheric drum & bass. So, out of all of Adam F's release on the two labels, this one came up as my instant favourite, mainly because of that spine tingling intro, with the chimes, the piano, the pads and that shaker, all just working so well together to create that ominous yet euphoric build towards the drop, which takes a turn into slightly darker territory, where the atmosphere is stripped away and replaced only with an amen, a bassline and the shaker from the intro, with sweeping sounds coming in and out to keep the interest there. But, it gets better, because when the pads come back, they bring with them an infectious panpipe riff and when it breaks down, it just seals the deal on this tune for me. If Adam F could make a return to his older sound, even something as brief as J Majik & Wickaman's one release (Old Headz/The Ritual), I'd be more than pleased. It probably won't happen, but at least I have this to listen to until it does.

FBD Project - Midnight Hipnosis

This track was made by a fairly prominent duo from back in the day, Neil Trix & Watton G under the joint name FBD Project. They are probably more well known for their seminal 93 darkside amen track The Core, but I like to give attention to more obscure tracks rather than talk on tracks that have already been previously talked on by many others, so out of their back catalogue I decided that I would pick this track from 1994, probably my favourite year for jungle. What I like about this track is the roling understated nature of it, with the way the drums are edited they flow very well and just move along nicely, the way that the 808 bassline just gels, if you get what I mean and the pads and vocals just work, they're very basic & simple, they don't amaze you, they just keep the track moving and grooving. Judging by the prices on Discogs though, this isn't one of those cheap rare gems, this is fairly pricey (£20 for two tracks seems ludicrous to a whole lot of people these days) but this is quite a solid release and don't sleep on this or a lot of the FBD Project back catalogue, as they were so consistent with their music, probably one of my favourite jungle duos.

12" Of The Week // Break - They're Wrong b/w Xtrah - Cyrax

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:25:00 +0000

Break - They're Wrong b/w Xtrah - Cyrax [Symmetry Recordings]

Break's Symmetry label hits double figures on the release front with this peach of 12". Two sides of contrasting beats but both sure to cause some damage on dancefloors across the land.

Break has oft been criticised for making too many tunes that sound 'the same'. I'm not going to argue with that either, I have said much the same myself, and there was a period a few years ago where he was churning out such an incredible amount of music with such regularity that it became all too easy to be a bit blasé about it all. He has since calmed down a bit - since the release of his sophmore LP 'Resistance' last year has been relatively quiet on the release front, and for a guy who's tunes 'all sound the same', 'They're Wrong' is an exquisite change of direction from him. For a start it uses actual real double bass as its main bass element instead of some nasty, massively processed synth we have come to expect from pretty much all D&B, evoking memories of another perhaps the most famous Bristolian production outfit to employ such a technique - Roni Size & Reprazent. Subtle female vocals and smokey jazz club drums entwine themselves around these luscious low end tones making for something that little bit special. Nothing over the top, nothing brash or showy, just something with a bit of funk and groove, enough to get anyone moving and their head nodding.

The B side is a bit of different beast however, with newcomer Xtrah's Cyrax. The jury's still out him I must admit - I veer wildly between thinking he is the next best thing since sliced bread and then quickly dismissing him as simply another producing peddling simple and monotonous two step fodder (sorry 'rollers') for the masses. Having said that he certainly knows his way around a bassline and it warps and twists through out this track with some energy, the brittle drum work skittering all around it. That's it really, not a roller as such but nowt special in fairness but that bass is sure to get a few people screwfacing when its pumped out of a decent rig.

It really is all about the a side with this 12" though. Superb stuff, a bit more of it now and again please Mr Break....

Out Now

BREAK 'THEY'RE WRONG' SYMM010a (EDIT) by Symmetry-Recordings

XTRAH 'CYRAX' SYMM010aa (EDIT) by Symmetry-Recordings

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Forty Two

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Regulate - Brotherhood (Regulate Rework)

Now before you jump to conclusions about this one let me tell you that this track was actually not made by Dillinja or Lemon D. In terms of the bassline, the ambience or even the trademark Dillinja/Lemon D amens, you would be forgiven for thinking that this Regulate name would have been one of either two's many aliases, but there's actually a bit of mystery (little hint there ;)) as to who Regulate is. There are no credits on any of the releases using his real name, so we can only assume that it was produced by someone very close to the two who had access to their samples/equipment/studio and most likely help from one of the two. But about the tune, it was released on Hardleaders, a label set up by Kickin who were known for their compilations, one of which was a series entitled Hardleaders, which we can work out inspired them to start up the label. It has some of the best hardstep (not exactly techstep, not exactly jungle, more like a bridge between the two, the earliest form of drum & bass as we know it) around at the time, which many releases by Dillinja & Lemon D under aliases and other artists such as Decoder, Manifest, Ice Minus and many other artists as time went on. The tune starts off all nice & calm, with those reversed horns building up for those steppy amens, intertwined with breaks, fading in and out of each other, before it finally drops with that bassline, keeping up that stuttered drum rhythm going for the majority of the tune until it finally lets loose around the four minute mark, a great little underplayed gem well worth purchasing.

B.L.I.M - Can't You See

On the topic of hardstep, another label that was pushing that drum & bass sound from early days was Emotif, a sublabel of SOUR (Sound Of The Underground, a record label, not the vinyl rip guys), which had a load of releases from Ed Rush, Nico, Trace & this artist called B.L.I.M, who probably better known for his breakbeat stuff. This one I really like as it's like two tunes in one, cleverly fused together through common samples. I mean this in the way that it starts off, with the think/worm combination, some subtle atmospherics and that haunting vocal (Oh baby, can't you see, all the crazy things, that you've done to me), which is used to bridge what I call the second half of the track, with those mental amen edits also layered with the breaks from the first half and also using the pads from the first half. It's like there's a calm side to this tune which is quite rolling and controlled, but then switches to a more darker & harder side, where all hell breaks loose and the drums come to life.

DJ Psylence // In Too Deep Mixes

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Recorded back in 2007, Ingredients boss Psylence showcases the sounds of the mid 90's with this series of mixes. Timeless stuff....

"1995-1997 are for me the golden years, where this music changed and was the most cutting edge in dance music at the time. Speed & Metalheadz @ Blue Note was the era & remain my fondest memories so far in this musical journey we now call Drum & Bass."

Dj Psylence presents - 'In Too Deep Vol 1' (1995-97) by Ingredients:

Tracklisting:
Pete Parsons - Miles High - Deejay Recs
Wax Doctor - Offshore Drift - R&S
Doc Scott - Far Away - Metalheadz
Flytronix - Rhodes Tune - Moving Shadow
PFM - The Mystics - Good looking Records
Wax Doctor - I Wanna be There - R&S
Adam F - Aromatherapy - Section 5
Pete Parsons - Hypersleep - R&S
JMJ & Richie - Universal Horn - Moving Shadow
The Oddassey - Expressions - 720
Skanna - Find Me - Skanna Recs
St Germain - Alabama Blues (Wax Doctor rmx) - F Communications
Chameleon - Links - Looking Good
Intense - Only You - Creative Source
Intense - Streams Of Thought - Creative Source

Dj Psylence 'In too deep vol.2' (1995-97) by Ingredients:

Tracklisting:
Mouly & Lucida - Inertia - Timeless
Czech - I Do Believe (Wax Doctor rmx ) - Virgin
Alex Reece - B-Boy Flavour - Metalheadz
J Majik - Lush Life - Infrared
Source Direct - Bliss - Source Direct
J Majik - Lightsabre - Infrared
Doc Scott - Drumz 95 - Metalheadz
Deep Blue - Thursday - Moving Shadow
Alex Reece - Basic Principles - Metalheadz
Carlito - Heaven - Creative Source
Clubbed To Death - Wax Doctor Mix - Mo Wax
Intense - Dusk Til Dawn - Rugged Vinyl
Doc Scott - Tokyo Dawn - Looking Good Records
JMJ & Richie - In Too Deep - Moving Shadow
Octave One - Chillin Out - 31 Records

Dj Psylence presents 'In too deep vol.3' (1995-97) by Ingredients:

Tracklisting:
Dom & Roland - The Storm - Moving Shadow
Source Direct - Approach & Identify - Source Direct
Photek - The Water Margin - Photek Productions
Source Direct - 12 Till 4 - Source Direct
Adam F - Metropolis - Metalheadz
L Double - Bass 2 Dark - Metalheadz
Splash - Heaven - Deejay Recordings
Doc Scott - Shadow Boxing - 31 records
Source Direct - Call & Response - Source Direct
J Majik - Reportoire - Metalheadz
Lemon D - Going Gets Tough - Prototype
Sky - Just Jungle - Trouble on Vinyl
Frank De Wulf - Drumz In A Grip (Wax Doctor rmx) - Harthouse
St Ettiene - The Sea (PFM rmx) - White
Source Direct - Secret Liasons - Good Looking Records
Intense - Positive Notions - Looking Good Records

Dj Psylence presents 'In too deep vol.4' (1995-97) by Ingredients:

Tracklisting:
Photek - Rings Around Saturn - Photek - Productions
Source Direct - Artificial Boundaries - Source Direct
Photek - The Rain - Metalheadz
Doc Scott - Blue Skies - Metalheadz
Boymerang - Urban Spaces - Prototype
Matrix - Convoy - Prototype
Dillinja - Threshold - Prototype
Dillinja - Angels Fell - Metalheadz
Goldie - This is a bad (Source Direct rmx) - Razors Edge
Digital - Spacefunk - Timeless
Source Direct - Hidden Rooms - Certificate.18
Wax Doctor - Cool Breeze
Photek - First Sequence - Photek Productions
Blame - Visions of Mars - Looking Good
Optical - Raging Calm - Metalheadz
Source Direct - The Crane - Source Direct

12" Of The Week // Blocks & Escher - Sagan b/w Broken

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Blocks & Escher - Sagan b/w Broken [Narratives Music]

EDJ favourites Blocks and Escher turn up the heat this week with the introduction of their new label Narratives Music. The emphasis here is on ‘releasing music which encapsulates the atmosphere, emotion and excitement’ that made them fall in love with the genre in the 90’s’. So a label that is deeply personal and not afraid to show it, good news! Music is undoubtedly a deeply personal thing and too many labels trying to be all things to all people is partly the reason why the majors and the mainstream industry at large is in the state it is in today. People don’t feel the connection with music that they once did, predominantly because everything is so homogenised and essentially impersonal. I invites the question, why should somebody feel obliged to pay for something that is aimed in such a corporate scattergun fashion at anybody the marketing model's remit picks up? I’m not condoning the theft of music and to be fair the factors outlined above generally don’t apply to our beloved genre, I’m just saying it’s partly understandable when you take them into consideration and apply them to the bemoaning masses.

Anyway, enough about that. Narratives’ first release lets two typically raw and pulsating rhythms off the leash for our aural pleasure. On ‘Broken’, heart melting synth lines and breathy vocals entwined with stone cold breaks produce an indefinable fusion that sounds quite unlike any other set piece of music out there in the realm of 170bpm at the moment. ‘Sagan’ with a percussive journey that twists, turns and rolls up and down throughout certainly keeps the listener on their toes. Both tunes are a healthy testament to the notion that you can take the polished sheen off of drum and bass and still make it listener friendly. A little bonus for digital lovers and supporters of those who buy from the labels online store over at Surus is a solo effort from Escher, ‘Cymbal Runner’ that's been doing the rounds for a while now.

With such a personal slant on the ethos of the label, I thought rather than the usual waffle that litters these reviews, it would be good to ask Phil [Blocks] to try and give us an idea of some music that inspires, particularly him and how this relates to the sounds we hear in the vinyl tracks, ‘Sagan’ and ‘Broken’. The result was as expected, a very broad spectrum including cult classic acts like Joy Division, Kate Bush, Radiohead and Neil Young, alongside some offerings from the more obvious sources of Photek, Boymerang and Susumu Yakota. The later of these creative sources offer the more obvious sonic assimilations. Having listened to Narratives001 it would difficult not to cite a Photek in the inspirations bracket. His penchant for making such succinctly underground, but ultimately tactile sounding music is a very close fit with B&E’s style. Not to say that Narratives001 is full of Photek rip offs, far from it. What struck me was the mutually innate melodic charm of both ‘Broken’ and Photek’s ‘Aleph1’. The hypnotic synth work in Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill’ has always been a personal favourite. Less obviously though, the staunch attitude of an artist so uncompromisingly her own (although actually this tune had to be given a different name to that originally intended for fear of losing commercial appeal!) To me this reflects how B&E have carved out a strong identity of sound for themselves in the scene, build a good following and still manage to stay true to their craft. Having never taken the time to indulge in the buzz surrounding Thom Yorke and his ever influential band, I was shocked at the frantic percussion in Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’. ‘Creep’ this is not and although this may be a slight fallacy of logic, you can see how it may have influenced some of the more experimental electronic music to have graced our ears over the last few years. Another citation worthy of note is the general level of atmosphere that the tunes on Narratives001 create. Generally a building sequence of melodic elements is pretty standard these days but to let the composition get overcrowded and convoluted is all too easy in my mind. When you listen to the young Mike Sheridan’s ‘Stjernekiggeri’ (yeah I can’t pronounce it either) or the veteran Yakota’s ‘Imagine’ you are treated to a master class in how it's done in the very subtle way witnessed in both ‘Broken’ and ‘Sagan’.

One of my favourite things to do is garner an understanding of what influences artists to write the music they do. Some references are more blatant than others. Sometimes you can hear them at a micro level IE a particular sample or sound. Others are more macro, the general feel and atmosphere of a track or the artistic outlook. One way or the other I always enjoy coming away with an enhanced sense of understanding and affinity with an artist. Understanding for obvious reasons but affinity because you feel you’ve been given a personal insight into the mind of somebody whose work you respect and appreciate as a contemporary. That is part of the charm of not only this experience but the whole ethos of Narratives Music as an entity. With that in mind I have to whole heartedly recommend you keep a close eye on the future of the label and do take the time to have a listen to the tunes that I received from Phil below.

Out Now

Narratives Music 001 by Narratives Music HQ

Words: Tom Root

Mantra // Inflections Vol. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Serious beats from Mantra as always.

MANTRA - INFLECTIONS VOL 1 - 2012 by Mantra

Tracklisting:
Damn Kids - Choke (Gremlinz Rmx) - Provoke
Cursa - Deep Response - (Pessimist Rmx)
Alias - Dreadlocks - (Unreleased)
Tyrone - Behemoth - Ingredients
Nico - Lo - No U Turn
Overlook - Existence - DSCI4
Jaybee- Remember - Dub
Darqwan - Warrior Stance (Amit Rmx)
John Rolodex - Keep on Truckin - (Morphy Rmx)
Theory - Stagga - dub
Parallel - Lizard King - (Double O Rmx)
Jim Creeper - Money- Dub
Stranjah - Prominence - Dub
Theory - Final Confrontation - Dub
Nebula - Sound Barriers - Bustle Beats
Rumbleton - Fragmentation - Dub
Paradox - Paralexia - Paradox Music
Lemon D - 12:01 - Valve
Friske & Gremlinz - Your Love - Dub
Untouchables & Praying Mantis - Shakout - Dub
Breakage - Untitled - (Unreleased)
Drum Cypha - Twilight on Venus - Dub
Champa B - Untitled - Dub
Threshold - Fool (Antidote Rmx) - Dub Clinic
Super Chick - Roach Killer - Channel 1

http://soundcloud.com/mantra/

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Forty One

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Breeze - Field Of Dreams

A little bit of background info about Breeze - It was a collection of 3 people, 2 of which had previously been in the group called Essence Of Aura, which pushed that darkside sound from early days, but disbanded in 1996, the same year this track came out. This is the only track I've been able to find under their name and it was released on Transatlantic Connection, a compilation that Moving Shadow put out with the aim of showcasing the best drum & bass from the Midlands region. It's a top notch compilation, with my favourite tracks being the tracks by Q Project & Spinback, Carlito, Tango & Neil Trix, but this track being without a doubt my favourite track on the whole compilation, by far, just for the way the pads slowly & slowly build before that epic breakdown with the guitars coming in and the Conrad vocals setting up for that heavy HEAVY drop out of nowhere, with the amen & later on, soul pride working in and out of each other perfectly. Not many jungle tunes make use of guitars but when it's done right like in this case, it's just so effective and adds a lot of emotion & brilliance to any track.

Sugizo - Michael In The Cage (Source Direct Remix)

On the suibject of guitars, we move onto this fairly obscure remix from the dynamic duo known as Source Direct. Sugizo is a singer-songwriter from Japan who plays the guitar & violin and when D&B was at it's peak of fame and producers were getting asked to do remixes for major labels, this guy was getting remixes done by Grooverider, Peshay, Lemon D, Dillinja & Source Direct. This remix is my favourite of them all just for the way that Source Direct have managed to include the guitars in a way that doesn't seem forced whilst still keeping with their formula for D&B, similar in a way to Photek's remix of Loose by Therapy, which also uses guitar samples from the original tune, but adds a new twist on them. The drums in this aren't too edited, this one's more about rolling out the amen, switching to the funky mule then switching back and forth throughout the track whilst keeping the original rhythm of the breaks intact.I think it works really well as it doesn't distract you from the guitar work over the top which is really the main focus of this remix, as opposed to the Breeze track mentioned above which uses guitars as a single element of the track but not as the main attraction like this, showing a bit of versatility of guitar use in drum & bass.

Octane & DLR // 'Ordnance'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

A little freebie from Octane & DLR and the Dispatch camp by way of thanks for the support. Debut album coming mid 2012 apparently, if it sounds anything like this then we're all in for a treat. Big big tune!

Download [via Drum & Bass Arena] (also see comments ;) )

http://soundcloud.com/octane-dlr

DJ Lee // Live @ Source

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:37:00 +0000

Got to show some love here as a born and bred Oxfordian and Source being the finest D&B night ever to grace our fair city (sorry to the HQ crew there...). DJ Lee, resident DJ and co-promoter of this bastion of 170bpm music has dug deep in the archives and upped two sets from 'back in the day'...one from 1997 broadcast of Radio 1's 'One In The Jungle' show and one from 2006, although Lee rolls out a more old-skool selection than the year it took place hints at. Essential listening - timeless tunes from one of the scene's true veterans...

DJ Lee-The Source @ Zodiac, Oxford - Radio 1 'One In The Jungle' 31.10.97 by djlee

Dj Lee Source 9th Birthday 2006 by djlee

Forthcoming: Commix // Dusted (Selected Works 2003 - 2008)

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:25:00 +0000

With the duo slowly but surely drifting away from Drum & Bass (one of them, cant remember which one, has been on a charge as mysterious Techno producer Shifted oevr the last 12-18 months) this could very well be the last 170bpm album from Commix. Good while it lasted eh...

"A collection of tracks written some years back, excavated from old hard drives & lovingly restored. Expect a new LP in October/November 2012, with a new 12" coming much sooner. Hope you enjoy Dusted :)"

Commix - Dusted (Selected Works 2003 - 2008) by Commix

http://www.facebook.com/commixmusic

EDJ Review: Arkaik - Trauma EP [Diffrent Music]

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:47:00 +0000

Arkaik - Trauma EP

A: Trauma
B: Headskill (feat. MC XL)
C: Vertebrae (feat. Jekyll)
D: Turncoat

If there’s one thing that appeals to me over and above the music it releases, it’s a label that doesn’t take itself too seriously and in the case of Diffrent Music I mean this in the nicest possible way! With the label being centred around an elusive pink giraffe named Leonard who pops up in press releases and produces a semi regular giraffe cast it’s easy to see what I mean. The back end of last year saw Diffrent drop it’s tenth release. Frederic Robinson’s ‘Laughing at Clouds’ was the label’s first step into the world of vinyl and with a limited pressing of 150 hand numbered copies on a wonderfully presented pink 10” it was one that appears to have been successful. When I got mine in the post I was impressed with the attention to detail in terms of the humorous art work and quirky etchings in the write out groove (one of my favourite things when buying wax!) The tunes themselves were also brimming with beauty and although could’ve easily been pigeonholed as sub autonomic melodica, there was something unique and appealing about them that jumped out at me and many others.

With release number 11 looming on the horizon Diffrent are going back to digital and serving up the four track Trauma EP from relative unknown Arkaik who’s only previous outings appear to have been on DIFF004D. The four tracks on this EP occupy various parts of a fairly narrow area section the deeper drum and bass spectrum. Thumping kicks, clean cut tom-toms and grizzly bass tones are omnipresent with varying degrees of dreamy synth work. The title track Trauma and similar sounding Vertebrae are the toughest of the four with punchy stepping drums and will serve the head nodding dance floor flankers well. An original vocal contribution from MC XL on Headskill follows the growing trend of similar such tunes and may run the risk of being easily dismissed as such. The deep brooding bass and half stepping beats of Turncoat demonstrate the comfort of the producer’s talent for sonic design and serve as a decent enough rounding off tune.

From a label still in its infancy this EP is a bold and important mile stone in cementing its reputation after such a resonant preceding release. While it may not exactly set the scene alight it shows that there are still plenty of labels willing to give up and coming producers their fair share of the lime light. And although vinyl still plays a hugely important part in the fabric of drum and bass, it’s the small labels that can’t always afford to release it who still serve a fundamental purpose of bringing through new talent as opposed to just playing it safe with every release so they can break even. Diffrent is one such label and for that we should be thankful.

Out: 23rd January through ST Holdings and Surus

**PROMO** Arkaik "Trauma EP" (DIFF011D) **OUT JAN 23RD** by diffrent

Words: Tom Root

DJ Blade // 'No Good Way To Let Go'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:17:00 +0000

We're big fans of DJ Blade here at EDJ, as any regular readers of the site will no doubt be aware. He dropped his debut album 'Moments That Change Us' on Telluric last year (very good it was too) and has just put up his sophmore LP 'No Good Way To Let Go' up for free download, hows about that!

Soulful vibes, old skool breaks and a bit of bounce to get your head nodding, a must for anyone who enjoys the slightly lighter side of D&B...

DOWNLOAD

http://soundcloud.com/dj-blade

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Forty

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Because it's 2012, a new year and all that, I'm decided that it would be fitting for the first edition of my Jungle Book articles to be something unexpected. So, what I'm going to talk about this week are my favourite jungle tunes which don't use the amen break. Yes, I know you're probably shocked right now because every single track in the last 39 editions has featured an amen break but I think it's time I made a change and stopped sweeping the non-amen jungle under the rug.

Dave Wallace - Flight

So let me begin with this one. Released in 1996 on the legendary Moving Shadow label, this track happens to be produced by Dave Wallace, one third of Aquasky & the way I found out about it was in in the 5th volume of Blu Mar Ten's From The Vaults mix, a collection of older mixes they had done and this track was probably my favourite track out of the whole mix, mainly because of the beautiful pads and the way they flow majestically with those rolling breaks and the warm underlying basslines. I also really liked that slow down of the drop into the breakdown of the track, because as a producer I know that tempo changes within the track aren't an easy task and I can imagine they were even harder back in the day when production was not as easy and was a tad slower, but it works really well and adds something nice to the track, before it switches into different but equally as good pads after, keeping the flow going nicely.

Asylum - Da Bass II Dark

Moving onto this track by L Double under the alias Asylum for Metalheadz. A bit more dancefloor than the above mentioned tune and I cannot stress enough how great this tune is as it manages to get the kind of reaction from me that only amens usually create, but instead of using amens, it uses quite clever layering of breaks and switching between each one of them. I can spot at least the cold sweat, the soul pride & the helicopter/sesame street breaks in this, as well as multiple others, all used perfectly to create that pace and rush of movement that the drums have, twinned perfectly with a bassline that keeps the track going forward. So, you take all that, you throw in some funk samples & vocals from Bassman to give this track it's own flavour & this is what you get. I might be pushing it here, but I would go as far as to say that this is probably the funkiest tune in drum & bass, James Brown would be properly into this one.

DJ Hype - Weird Energy (Hells' Bells Mix)

I don't write about nearly enough DJ Hype tracks, because he was absolutely smacking it back then, with tracks like Shot In The Dark, The Trooper, Roll Da Beats, Tigerstyle, his remixes of Hello Lover, Hitman, R.I.P, Ganja Man, Information Centre and countless other tracks, but for now, let me focus on this excellent slab of darkcore. This tracks screams 1993, with it's use of timestretching, ominous bells, unsettling pads & stabby breakdowns, but one thing that really makes this track for me is that saxophone sample. God knows how he managed to work it into a darkcore track but the way he worked it in is pure genius as when I tracked down the original sample, Unwind Yourself by Marva Whitney, I could never imagine that I'd be able to use the sample just right. the way Hype did, making it into a dark underlying riff and that sax sample for me, seals this as one of my favourites.

Q Project - Champion Sound (Doc Scott Remix)

And finally, we have what might be one of my top remixes, Doc Scott's take on the classic track Champion Sound by Q Project on Legend Records. You may know of the original version of this track and you'll most definately know of the Alliance remix, which was getting played in nearly every set from 93-94 and still gets played today, but I think this version's the best one. Doc Scott completely flipped the script on the original, taking out all the darkness from it and replacing it with some atmospheric goodness, injecting a bit of musicality through those sweeping pads and coupling that with some drums similar to Da Base II Dark mentioned above, using that break layering & switching technique, with the hotpants, think, cold sweat and a modified soul pride, which works brilliantly with the flowing pads. I rate this as a great remix very highly, because what it's done is gone completely as far away from the original as it could, without it just being a completely different track, with samples from the original just thrown in there, you can tell that a lot of time and consideration went into this and that's why I think this is one of my top remixes, despite the lack of amen.

Silent Dust // 'Eye Of The Duck'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Christmas freebie number three, courtesy of EDJ award winning (what an honour) duo Silent Dust.

Eye of the Duck by SilentDust

http://soundcloud.com/silentdust

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Thirty Nine

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

DJ Mayhem - Inesse

This one was released in 1993 on a label called Face Records, highly rated (not Shabba) back in the day for being one of the pioneering labels of that darkcore sound, with this tune being one of their finest ones. The label was run by the duo of Pascal & Sponge, the same Pascal that went onto start up Frontline and now runs Playaz with Hype. Even though they had plenty of releases throughout 1993 & 1994, they still managed to retain a high level of quality & consistency, but let's focus on this track. It starts off with some eerie unsettling pads, with rises & vocal teases here and there to set the mood & create the buildup to that moment where the bass is teased, then the amen drops and then the bass comes back in agan and it's just so well made, especially for 1993, where the production wasn't exactly on point, but this tune raised the bar. And I haven't even gotten to that epic breakdown, with that creepy yet heavenly vocal sample combined with some sweeping strings that makes the hairs on the back of your neck throw its hands in the hair and then the drums come back in again and it's just everything you'd need to hear in a darkside 1993 track. A seminal classic indeed.

Goldie - Chico - Death Of A Rockstar

A very rare occurence here, an amen track by the legendary Goldie, who I really don't need to give background info on, as I'm sure you'll all know plenty about him. But this track is off Saturnz Return, Goldie's follow up album to Timeless, an album which is revered far and wide and considered by many as a classic. So it's an understatement to say that it must have been hard for Goldie to live up to the hype that was created by Timeless, all eyes were on him this time around and I think he did a pretty good job keeping up the standards set, but I'd have to say that this tune is the standout track by far. Not many tracks in d&b have made great use of guitars but this track starts off with some, nice and stretched out to the point where they almost begin to resemble pads, but the peaceful nature is then interrupted abruptly with filtered amens, letting you know that the calm before the storm has ended. Bringing a take on the amen break that only Goldie could, I wish he would do more, as I do with a lot of artists, but I'm just glad that he's done this. Although, after a bit of searching, I couldn't find out who the title is named after, so if you happen to know, please say in the comment section.

Hybris // 'Not Human'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:35:00 +0000

No such drama from Hybris, he let's the music do the talking...Christmas freebie number two....

Hybris- Not Human by hybrisdnb

http://soundcloud.com/hybrisdnb

Data // 'Overflow'

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Ignoring the self indulgent faux drama he involves himself online every now and again, you can't deny Data makes some pretty sweet tunes when he wants to. Christmas freebie number one...

Data - Overflow - 1.0 by Data

Download Mirror

http://soundcloud.com/data/

EDJ Review: Lynx - Devil's In The Detail LP

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:42:00 +0000

Lynx - Devil's In The Detail LP [Detail Recordings]

01 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor - Without Warning
02 Lynx Ft. Kemo, K Whitmarsh & Seed - Burn
03 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor - Time Machine
04 Lynx Ft. Sense MC - 9 Muses
05 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor & Kemo - Back to the Jungle
06 Lynx Ft. Fats & Seed - Revolutions
07 Lynx Ft. DRS & Marcus Intalex - Jetlag
08 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor - Blip Blop
09 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor & Suree - First Winter
10 Lynx Ft. Deeizm & Fats - All For You
11 Lynx - Playskool
12 Lynx Ft. Hellrazor - Somethings Never Change
13 Lynx Ft. Noisia & Seed - Who’s This
14 Lynx Ft. Ciah - Open Close Lock

Lynx has had a rich history in modern drum and bass music. His early involvement as a studio engineer for some of the scene's major players obviously put him in good stead for a career as an artist in his own right. Not always an easy transition to make, it takes a certain type of individual to break the mould and go from tweaking somebody else's work to creating your own productions that both stand alone and stand out in the ever amassing crowd. His earlier productions circa 2002 onwards certainly lacked definition and seemed to trot out a tried and tested formula akin to Ram records and Mampi Swift. A formula which contributed to the stagnation of harder drum and bass for too long, arguably until Pendulum came along!

Fast forward then to 2007 and it was clear that the sounds of Lynx had been heavily refined. Drums with such bounce and shuffle that they gave the music a funk that demanded a lot of attention within the scene, add to that the unique vocal prowess of MC Kemo and a new formula was born. Being picked up by labels like Soul:r and Creative Source was always going to be a nod towards the high quality of the music. The singles and album that followed were some of the most genre defining of recent times (think Disco Dodo, Mariachi and Global Enemies), if perhaps not gaining the wider level of exposure they maybe deserved. Last year Lynx launched his own label; Detail Recordings which saw him take on the A&R side of things as well as producing, performing and releasing. The label has thus far been purely focused on Lynx's own productions but with many collaborations gracing the discography it's clear that there is a willingness to open up the sound to a much wider stable of artists when the time is right.

The traditionally difficult sophomore album 'Devils in the Detail' was released earlier this month on the label and draws on Lynx's historic penchant for collaborations, there is only one track throughout the 14 where Lynx goes it alone! Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, it certainly makes for a more diverse collection of music than experienced on 'The Raw Truth' which was a far more consistent group of predominantly conservative drum and bass tunes. 'Devils in the Detail' switches the tempos up with a couple of 140 numbers that sit at the heavier end of the traditional dubstep spectrum and for it lose some of the definition that Lynx's drum and bass output has become known for. The two loosely half tempo 85 bpm type tunes, including a rather odd anecdotal tale told by the ever cheery MC DRS with Marcus Intalex chipping in on the boards, add another interesting layer to the overall sound pallet. What is clear throughout though is that Lynx is most comfortable working at 170bpm, again not a bad thing especially when you consider the variety of tunes on offer. Personal highlights include the traditional bounce of 'All For You' featuring a vocal juxtaposition of MC Fats and songstress Deeizm, with its militant beats and deep penetrating strings. The rather angry sounding but ultimately well restrained 'Who's This' featuring Noisia & Seed tantalises with its tinkling Marimbas and heavily compressed gruff bass tones. There are also other more experimental offerings, particularly in the form of the drum onslaught on 'Blip Blop' and what can best be described as 'Disco Dodo' part 2 (actually entitled 'Without Warning') neither of which particularly excite but do add to diversity of this album as a stand-alone composition.

What is nice about this album is that it doesn't feel particularly divisive. Not obviously aimed at the dance floor but also not easy to pigeon hole as a listener only album. Lynx has such a technically perfected sound that you always feel you are listening to something that has been lovingly crafted and slaved over. It does have a nice balance of different sounds/sub genres but as a result lacks a bit of consistency. As I often say in these reviews though, if you're going to push your own boundaries by experimenting with your sound the results aren't always going to be everybody's liking. I would personally rather listen to an album that is more experimental but that only has 7/10 tunes to my liking than something that is consistent but monographical throughout. How else are producers expected to push their sound forward?

Out Now

http://www.detailrecordings.com/

Words: Tom Root

Tim Reaper's Jungle Book // Chapter Thirty Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:34:00 +0000

This week I thought I'd do a label special, selecting four of my favourite tracks from Pharaoh Records. You may not know about it as it never got to the level of fame that labels like Suburban Base & Moving Shadow reached, but this is one of those labels that never released many tunes but every one that they released was top notch. Their style was heavyweight ragga jungle but done properly, unlike the large amount of cash-ins and results of bandwagon hopping which were very prevalent in the scene in the 2 years that the label operated. There aren't many details about the label owner or the artists featured, but I think that helps as a bit of mystery makes the tunes a bit more interesting, I find. However I did find it odd to see that the catalogue numbers for the releases begin with PH 005, making me wonder about the existence of PH 001-004, but anyway, let's get into the tunes....

Taone & Datman - Kill Dem All

This one. Probably their most well known tune and it's the one that put me on to the label. I first heard it digging for tunes to put on the jungle blog on Tumblr I used to run and when I heard that drop, with one of the hardest stepping amens you'll hear, I knew that the label had to have more to offer.

Radic - Mafia Man

I only heard this one recently as audio for many of the releases on this label have been fairly hard to find. This one only just surfaced a few days ago so I jumped at the oppurtunity to hear another Pharaoh release and this one did not disappoint, keeping up that consistent level of quality set by the Taone & Datman release. Probably my favourite track on the label, because of how hard the drums are when they come in and the way the edits are layered, all on their own thing, yet so together. It's tunes like this which keep my interest in making jungle going.

Leathal Kemistry - Yaga Yung

Probably the rarest release on the label since it only made it to a promo release, which is a shame as it's got great use of samping, coupled with some great amen edits rolling out with an appropriate reverse bass riff on top. If a copy of this becomes available, don't hesitate to grab it.

Unknown Artist - Straight To Ya Chest

Not many details about who made this, but let me just comment on the great use of soul pride in this one, and it's rare you'll hear me appreciating the use of other breaks. The combination of the soul pride with the amen in this track really gives this track a whole lot of movement.

12" Of The Week // Dub Phizix & Skeptical ft. Strategy - Marka b/w Rags

noreply@blogger.com (Everyday Junglist) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Out Now

(I feel suitably lame hyping this already over hyped tune but there we are. Consequence's 'Test Dream' LP is out today too, it is excellent so go buy that as well.)